Battle of Liaskowa

Battle of Liaskowa
	Part of the French invasion of Russia
	; Cossacks were an irregular Russian cavalry best suited for the attack of the enemy’s supply lines without joining a major battle.
Date	9 November 1812
Location	Liaskowa/Lyakhovo, 40 km southeast of Smolensk, Russian Empire54°33′58″N 32°36′11″E / 54.56611°N 32.60306°E
Result	Russian victory
Belligerents
Russian Empire	French Empire
Commanders and leaders
Orlov-Denisov; Denis Davydov; Aleksandr Figner; A. Seslavin [ru]	J.-P. Augereau [fr]
Strength
3,500; 4 cannons	2,000
Casualties and losses
200	2,000
	class=notpageimage\| Location within Smolensk Oblast Battle of Liaskowa (European Russia) Battle of Liaskowa (Europe)

French invasion of Russia

500km
300miles

Liaskowa

Pultusk

15

Gorodeczno

14

Drohiczyn

13

Tauroggen

12

Riga

11

Tilsit

10

Warsaw

9

Berezina

8

Maloyaro-
slavets

7

Moscow

6

Borodino

5

Smolensk

4

Vitebsk

3

Vilna

2

Kowno

1

current battle

Prussian corps

Napoleon

Austrian corps

The Battle of Liaskowa (or Lyakhovo) took place 9 November 1812 near the village of Liaskowa, where 3,500 Cossacks under the command of Vasily Vasilyevich Orlov-Denisov (also under Denis Vasilyevich Davydov, Aleksandr Samoylovich Figner and Aleksandr Nikitich Seslavin) surrounded 2,000 soldiers of the Grande Armée under Jean-Pierre Augereau.^[1]

Background

Mikhail Kutuzov in his Attrition warfare against Napoleon had increased the guerrilla warfare of the Cossacks and the people's war of the peasants thereby slowly weakening the French army.^[2] During the retreat of the Grande Armée from Moscow to Poland Kutuzov with his main army avoided following Napoleon directly. Kutuzov escorted the Grande Armée on parallel roads in unspoilt regions of the south.^[3]

Battle

3,500 Cossacks under Vasily Orlov-Denisov routed 2,000 soldiers of the Grande Armée under Augereau. 1,750 French were taken prisoner.^[1]

Aftermath

The Grande Armée had its next major fight in the Battle of Krasnoi.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Bodart 1908, p. 442.
^ Davidov 1999, Chapter 7.
^ Riehn 1990, p. 335-.

Literature

Bodart, Gaston (1908). Militär-historisches Kriegs-Lexikon (1618-1905). Retrieved 10 April 2021.
Davidov, Denis (1999). In the Service of the Tsar Against Napoleon, 1806–1814. Greenhill Books. ISBN 1-85367-373-0.
Riehn, Richard K. (1990). 1812 : Napoleon's Russian campaign. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 9780070527317. Retrieved 10 April 2021.

External links

Media related to Battle of Liaskowa at Wikimedia Commons

[FOOTNOTEBodart1908442-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Bodart 1908, p. 442.

[FOOTNOTEDavidov1999Chapter_7-2] Davidov 1999, Chapter 7.

[FOOTNOTERiehn1990335--3] Riehn 1990, p. 335-.

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